How much more punctual will we be when we get hold of this DKNYSparkle Strap Watch? Its glittering gold awesomeness is so fabulous, we’re sure to spend plenty of time gazing at it. Which makes it that much more likely that we’ll actually pay attention to the time. Our bosses will be grateful. Available at nordstrom.com for only $135
The slap watch (you know, a slap bracelet with a timepiece) doesn’t have to be a crazy, neon rubber thing. For example, TKO Orlogi makes a line of Slapper Crystal Leather Watches, which come with interchangeable bands and are studded with Swarovskis. They come in a variety of colored leathers, but obviously we’re going to show you the leopard print one. Available at tkowatches.com for only $75
Porsche Design just announced the follow-up to P’9521, a quad-band cell phone milled from a single solid block of aluminum and a single sheet of scratchproof glass.
Besides the black and brushed appearance the P’9522 offers Wi-Fi, GPS, a 2.8″ AM OLED display, fingerprint sensor and a five megapixel still/video camera with flash and digital zoom.
Vestalife will launch the Ladybug iPod / iPhone Speaker Dock at CES International in Las Vegas in January 2008 (it won the CES Innovation Design and Engineering Award you know). This amplified speaker system sports stereo speakers, a subwoofer, LED volume level indicators, a USB port for synchronization and a remote control – I guess I don’t have to mention that it looks like a ladybug, do I?
A few weeks back, Borders opened up pre-ordering for the Kobo e-reader, a simple, $150 tablet that will be attached to its upcoming e-bookstore. We didn’t realize at the time, but the bookseller has no plans of stopping there. In fact, Borders will launch a series of up to 10 e-reading devices across the price spectrum in its retail locations. All the devices will make use of Borders e-bookstore and will be showcased in retail stores in an area called “Area-e.”
Next up on that list is the Libre, an even cheaper e-reading option manufactured by Aluratek. It will retail for $120, feature a 5-inch LCD black-and-white display and double as digital music player. It will also come with 100 preloaded classics. Borders is currently taking orders for the Libre, which will hit the market in July.
Personally, I like what Borders is doing here. When you boil it down, e-readers really just replace paperback books that you could buy for 5 to 10 bucks or borrow for free at your local library. In other words, the cheaper they can make a basic e-reader, the better. That and the fact that these devices are tied to a well-known name in books should make them an intriguing option for consumers, even if they don’t become a rousing success story.
Mmmm.. Fixed device against white background..
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdXRS5mCsLQ&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xd0d0d0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1]
Granted, showing your device fixed up close with hands and fingers walking you through the features, all against a bright white background might just be the most logical way to show what your device got, but Bell’s new ad for Palm Pre does feel a bit inspired by Apple’s iPod / iPhone ads, doesn’t it? Just a tiny bit? Anyway, the device and interface still looks good.
Trying to stay under a $600 PC budget but can’t wait for the affordable ultrathins or ultrapowerful netbooks? Woot’s got a way out with a $549 Dell 17-inch Studio notebook. Built for entertainment, the refurbished Dell Studio 1737 includes a 2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4 GB of RAM, a 320 GB hard drive, a DVD player and burner, a webcam and Vista Home Premium installed. There’s also an HDMI output and a 1-year warranty if you’re a worry wart. I know, PCs don’t make the greatest impulse buys, but normally a 17-inch Studio with these specs will set you back $759, so consider pulling the trigger if you were already shopping.
Shuttle launched the “All-in-One Mini-PC” X50 a while ago but will, as of the end of June 2009, be available as a barebone system as well, meaning you get to buy this sleek, 3.6 cm thin and fanless system and then equip it with your operating system, HDD/SSD and RAM of choice.
The X50 is available in both black and white, both sporting Intel Atom 330 dual-core processors (2×1.6 GHz), a 15.6″ touchscreen, a 1.3 megapixel webcam, wlan, gigabit-lan, card reader, stereo speakers, microphone and the forementioned fanless power supply (65 Watt).
Oh man, too bad this is just a concept – I’d buy this NES controller mouse any day, I don’t care if it’s even less ergonomic than the old Amiga 500 mice (or the early Apple ones, for that matter). No word on who the mastermind behind it is but he deserves to see this beauty mass produced.
Much is left to the imagination with designer Erick Sakal’s speaker concept. We’re guessing, for example, that the big speaker hole in the front is the subwoofer, while the fins of this sea creature-like creation hold the midrange and tweeters. The speaker does seem to operate wirelessly, with a special iPod transmitter, but where’s the power cord? The photo is tagged as “organic” so maybe we’re looking at some fine lumber from a small farm. Or maybe I’m reading into this too much. It’s pretty to look at, anyway.